Scarred
by Elvenstar Imrahil
Summary: Better than the title. My first A:TLA fic, about Zuko's Agni Kai with his father. Sort of. It goes back and forth between what really happened and another scenario. R&R gets you cookies! Just mind your language, please. Rating for teensy bit of violence.
1. Scarred

Author's Note: This is my first A:TLA fic, so if course it's about my favorite angsty Firebender! It really isn't all that great. . . especially considering the fact that it's got a fume section. Dunno why, but that one scene from episode 12 ("The Storm") made me angry. My empathy acts up at strange times, and for strange characters. Anyway, please review, and enjoy!

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_"Please, Father! I only had the Fire Nation's best interests at heart!" the dark-haired boy pleads with the man before him. "I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!"_

_The man, whose face is not shown, walks toward the boy, saying, "You will fight for your honor."_

_The boy throws himself to the ground in a bow. "I meant you no disrespect; I am your loyal son!"_

_"Rise and fight, Prince Zuko," the man snarls._

_"I won't fight you," the boy replies, his voice wavering._

_"You will learn respect--" _

_The boy looks up, tears forming shining streaks on his cheeks._

_"--and suffering will be your teacher."_

_The boy's sister leans forward, smirking in wicked anticipation while his uncle looks away._

I watch but I do not see. All my anger, though not hatred, is directed at one person. I can hear his voice in my head, the boy's, begging for mercy, forgiveness. His soul-rending screams of agony reverberate within my skull. Can you hear them, Ozai? Do they haunt you at night? I scoff. Probably not. Ozai is no more than an animal in human guise.

Who could be so heartless? Who could be so deadened inside that he would scar his own son with the same amount of, if not more, ferocity as he would his most hated enemy?

Even though it is not shown, I can see what happens in my mind. . .

_The man meets the boy's betrayed golden gaze with his own fierce glare. He steps forward and punches the air in front of the boy's face, a ball of fire blossoming before his clenched fist. Propelled by his energy, it strikes the left side of the boy's face, toppling him forcefully onto his back._

_The boy cries out in anguish, both physical and emotional, the side of his face a bloody mess of seared flesh._

_The man walks slowly over and kneels by the boy's side, bending down to breathe in his son's ear, "You should count yourself lucky I didn't kill you, _Prince_," he spits the word like an insult. "I cannot allow weakness, Zuko. You deserve this pain."_

_He rises and leaves, ignoring the healers awaiting the nod that would signal permission to begin tending the boy's wounds._

_The boy, whose screams have subsided to sobs and groans, watches his father leave through his uninjured eye. He lies there for several minutes, unmoving. A single tear runs down his scorched face. He closes his eyes and surrenders to unconsciousness._


	2. Scenario

Whoa. Short chapter. I've decided to heck with "I'll write more if I get enough reviews." I have to write this. I've decided that this will go back and forth between what really happened and an alternate scenario. . . so we'll see where it goes.

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The injustice, the absolute cruelty of it, is driving me mad! Would that I had been there. I would not have let such a pitiless act take place. All are distant shadows once more as I again see. . .

_I am sitting on one of the several hard stone benches around the arena, watching the spectacle. However, before the Fire Lord can strike the scarring blow, I rise and push my way through the crowd. I leap up onto the platform and stand between Ozai and his son._

"_Get out of the way!" the man snaps at me, but I stand firm._

"_No." I lift my determined gaze. He is enraged, I can see it on his face. I can almost hear his furious thoughts: _Who is this?! How dare she interfere in an Agni Kai! Zuko must be punished for what he has done!

_In fury, he strikes. I feel a wave of heat, a searing pain. I fall to the ground, writhing and screaming, clutching the burned side of my face._

"_Father!" I hear Zuko cry out in shock, though it seems far away through the haze of pain._

_I don't see or hear so much as feel the Fire Lord exit the arena, shouting an insult back at the prince, "You are worthless! Weak!"_

_Then, all becomes dark emptiness._

Oh, Zuko. When others proclaim you weak, you can be assured of your strength.


	3. Banished

Third chapter! Hooray! I'll see if I can get at least five before I get stuck, unlike with my other chapter-fics. Enjoy!

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When I return to reality, I realize the episode has ended. I shake my head, smiling, and turn off the television. As I walk up the stairs to my room, I think back to the images that flashed through my mind, so vivid as to seem something akin to memories.

Once in my room, I flop down on the bed and ponder what to do. My thoughts drift back to the dark-haired boy from the show. Again, I hear his screams and pleading voice, wincing. The sounds make me feel sick inside. I feel my anger rising, along with an urge to humor it.

Not even bothering to resist, I rise and punch the wall just hard enough to make my knuckles sore. I seethe, every breath hissing between my clenched teeth. Why couldn't I have been there? I am almost certain that I would have had the courage that I did in the scenario. But that is not how it happened.

I sit down on the floor and close my eyes, ready to see more. . .

_A raven-haired girl of twelve years peeks around the doorframe to see the boy, lying on a bed, his head shaved, his face bandaged, asleep._

_The girl breathes out what sounds like a sigh of relief and moves to stand in the doorway. _

_She just stands there, staring at the boy, for several long moments, before her reverie is rudely interrupted by a cold voice behind her, "Checking on your boyfriend, Mai?"_

_She whips around, surprise showing on her face for a split second. The speaker, another girl, this one with dark brown hair and amber eyes, is the boy's sister. She is accompanied by yet another girl, walking on her hands, giggling at the first's inquiry._

"_He's not my boyfriend, Azula," the raven-haired girl replies in a monotone, her face expressionless._

_The boy's sister smirks in an unnerving manner before walking past Mai and into the room. She jumps up and lands on the bed, jarring her brother into wakefulness. "Zu-Zu!"_

_The boy's eye snaps open and he scowls at his sister. "What do you want?"_

"_Just wondering if you want to know what Dad has planned for you," she answers, a gleam of cruel mischief in her eyes._

"_Shut up, Azula. We already did the Agni Kai." He rolls over so his sister won't see his tears. "Go away."_

"_Don't cry, Zu-Zu," she says in mock concern. Then, in an almost teasing tone, she finishes, "There's more coming." She jumps off the bed, making an unnecessary thud when she lands, then walks out of the room. "Come on, Mai, Ty Lee."_

_The two other girls follow her down the hall._

_Meanwhile, the boy sobs into his pillow, trying to muffle the sound of his anguish. . ._

I open my eyes slowly. I wish I could offer him comfort. I wish I could avenge him. I wish I could do something, anything, to help. I want to see him happy. He deserves at least a moment of joy for his trials.

I realize I want to draw something, so I search through several stacks of books to find an old, somewhat battered sketch pad. I grab a pencil from the cup full of them on my desk, open my sketch pad to a blank page, and start scribbling. A dragon's head, an eye, a sword, and the boy's scar.

I hadn't noticed what I was drawing until it was unmistakable. Somewhat hesitantly, I draw the outline of his head around the scar, then draw in his eyes. It looks halfway decent. I stare at it for a long time, thinking. Struck with an idea, I put pencil to paper and start sketching again. . .

_The boy stands next to his uncle as Fire Lord Ozai publicly announces his son's banishment._

_He stares at the horizon, fighting furiously to hold back tears of rage, to ignore the crowd watching him. He tries to block out his father's voice, speaking of how he had shamed his family by refusing to take part in the Agni Kai, but the harder he tries, the louder the Fire Lord's voice seems to get._

"_For this dishonorable exploit, Zuko has been stripped of his title and honor, and is now banished from the Fire Nation. However, if he wishes to restore his honor--" Ozai pauses, glancing over to see his son's reaction. The boy is still staring at the horizon, but now his eye has a glimmer of optimism. The Fire Lord smiles before continuing, "--he must return with the Avatar."_

_The boy almost collapses, overcome with despair, and he can no longer hold back his tears. Offered hope, only to have it ripped away a moment later._

_His father has assigned the impossible. The Avatar had not been seen for almost a century._

_As if sensing the boy's desolation, his uncle places a steadying hand on his shoulder. Immediately, the boy straightens and resumes gazing into the distance, though his tears still flow freely._

"_Now, he will not be alone, for another has earned banishment. I did not give permission to anyone to tend to Zuko's wound, but someone decided that the Fire Lord's consent was not needed."_

_The boy places a hand on his bandage, silently apologizing to whichever healer had helped him._

"_For going against the command of the Fire Lord, Iroh is hereby banished."_

_The boy's eye widens in shock and he turns to face the one who treated his wounds._

_Iroh, his uncle, gives a small smile of encouragement._

"_You will be given a ship. A crew has already volunteered to serve under the esteemed Dragon of the West," Ozai sneers at his brother._

"_And I am very thankful for it," Iroh retorts._

_The boy smiles slightly, glad that he will have some company during his exile. "Thanks, Uncle," he mutters to the man beside him._


End file.
